Water amusement device



May 17, 1932. G. P. v. KURZ WATER AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed April 7, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 6.]? 7.1170771; 1 g wwm G. P. v. KURZ 1,859,267

WATER AMUSEMENT DEVICE May 17, 1932.

Filed April 7, 1951 2 SheetsSheet 2 Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED SrAres rv xuaakor SEATTLE, WASHINGTON WATER eivrUs MENr- DEVIGE Application filed Aprii 7, 1931. Serial No. 528, 52;

s invention rela es t ewand us fu impro ements n am sement de ces, and particularly to dev c s employi g a W ter course and heats, 1 Y Y 5 One obj of the invention isto provide a device of this character which will aiford amusement to old and young.

Another object :is to provide a device of this characterwhich will carry passengers 19 through a water course, and atthe same-inonluce rotary motion to the boats in which the passengers are sea-ted.-

@ther objects and .adaantages be apparent from the following description when taken connection with the accompanying drawings. i

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of an amuse- Inent device made in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional View on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, there is shown an elongated elliptical watercourse, represented as a whole by the numeral 10, and including the bottom 11, and the side walls 12. The bottom of this watercourse has a slight downward inclination from the wall 13, which is disposed transversely at one end of the course, through the length of the course to the point indicated by the numeral 14:. As clearly shown in the sectional view, Figure 4, the upper edge of the wall 13 is at a considerably greater elevation than the point 14, and mounted in the watercourse, and inclining upwardly from the point 14:, to the top of said wall, is an elevator 15, which includes an endless conveyor chain device 16, for transferring the boats from the lower elevation, at 14, to the higher level, above the said wall. As will be readily understood, the starting point isadj acent the wall 14, while the finish of the course is at the lower level at 14. Within the enclosure bounded by the inner Wall of the watercourse,

of the framework, adjacent the wall 13, 1S 1 moto 31, having vspr0c et Whe 32, it

t od .Theshatt27 l mend h m iei-Sdisposed a framework 17, and monntedin this framework, and extending lon itllv li fll- 1y adia e sa d el f h wa i reour e,

e sha a ng s a-rs l9ve on, m shing with the gears 19 on transverse shafts 2.0.,

raise mounted in said framework, Mounted vertically and centrally, adjacent each side of the framework, are'ihe shafts 21 which h ear 22,01 h i l wer ends, me

ing wi h the be o -m ntioned ge rs 1 01, v the upper end of each of vtheseshafts21 is a be t Wheel or pulley 2:3. Mou t d an th framework, at the ends thereof, and in ,alinem aty-1 h th p ll ys 2 reit b ackets 2.4, w h s rp rtsim ljar pu eys 2 and tra ned e around hese pulley$ relic the belts 2B, the outer *1 n of whi a e d po d outsid of th said inner Wall f he W ter our e, a c ea ly :seen in the drawings, for ,a purpose which w ll be exp ain d lat r her in- In the. and

tongitu ihally and centra ly i dispos d shaf 27 and .on t h ft ar t e tw Wheels .28 and 29, t e ormer of wh ch s rsproeke' wheel, While t l t stat Wheel .91 PlIlas Alex, a shownthe adjac nt Len i'th ha 18 is a belt heel, whic is the wh l 2.9, to rece ve t bel 1 9- $11 1 m u d n thi end o th ramewq l is .a s a t rdrivi gt see through th f med m f the ha n t in d an lihd t spr e s 28 and 32. in the before-mentio end of the framework ther s .f rmed a tran verse {channel 34, through which theshaft27 ext nd and mount ont is s aft, within id hann l, i Water-Whee 7. which adapted to keep t e at i m tion ar n the watercourse, as will be readily underend o f amew rk, and f rm .9 PPQ drivel shafi 01 the" conveyor chain "16. Mounted on the'u-pper'edge's of the walls of the watercourse and exte d g r g t entire lengths thereof, are the upwardly and 1. 1.)

' ou ward y in l ned guard bo s '3 The watercourseis filled, to a certain ,h ight with wate a d heated in is Water are a nlmality of'boats, indicated by h nilmeral' .37. Each o these b c mp isesaw a circular body 38, provided with the seats 39, for the passengers. In the center of the bottom of the boat is a weight 40, for maintaining the boat on an even keel, and projecting downwardly and outwardly from said bottom of the boat, is the circular fin 41', which is arranged to contact with the bottom ofthe watercourse, to prevent the boat from tipping too far in any direction, aswill be readily understood. Projectingupwardly and outwardly from'the upper edge of the boat is a flange 42, whichis adapted to overlie the guard boards 36, to protect the passengers from coming intocontact with said boards. In the wall 13 is a trap door 13, opening in the direction of the starting point 'of'the course,- whereby. to prevent return of water to the finish or lower end. Attached to the outer face of each boat, adjacent its upperedge, is a bumper member 43, which is adapted to contact with the sidewalls of the 'wate'rco'urse, and with the belts, as the boats pass along the course.

, In the operation of the device, the motor "as being started, the belts will be caused to rotate, the water-wheel will also rotate, and the endless conveyor will be driven. .The action of the water-wheel will'cause the water to be driven around the water course, whereby '80 f to cause theboats to travel therewith, and as the boats move they will, at times, come into contact with the belts'30, with the result that the boats will be given a spinning motion, .as they progress along the course. Contact with'thebelts will also cause the boats to be projectedtoward the outer wall of the course, and upon contact therewith will roll along said"wall,ior be rotated in the opposite V direction, to the great amusement'of the passengers of the boats, The boats will also .have a tendency to rock,'which will add to the amusement and thrill of the ride, but if, however, the boats should tend to tip too far,

watercourse propelled by the motion of the water, and longitudinally extending constantly driven belts carried by a side of the watercourse for intermittent contact by said boats whereby to impart rotary motion to the latter. 3. An amusement device comprising an endless watercourse having a constantly flowing stream of water-therein, longitudinally extending constantly driven endless belts carried by a side of thewater course, and boats in the watercourse carried therealong by the motion of the water, each of said boats including a circular body having seats therein, and a surrounding circular bumper for inter mittent contact with said belts whereby to impart rotary motion to said boats. 4. An amusement device comprising an endless watercourse constantly driven longitudinally extending movable means carried by aside ofthe watercourse, and a circular 9 boatln the course propelled therealong by the moving water,saidboat/having sea-tstherein and a counterweight in the bottom thereof, a fin on the bottom 'ofthe boat forcontact with a wall of the course to prevent capsiz-' ing of the boat, and a bumper surrounding the boat for intermittent contact with said longitudinal moving means to impart rotary motion to said boat. 'In testimon whereof, I afiix my signature.

IUENTHER P. V. KURZ.

this will be prevented, by contact of the fins 41 with the bottom of the course. When each boatreaches the end of the course, it willbe engaged by the endless conveyor chain and carried upwardly, to'be deposited into the course above the wall 13, ready for. another 50 trip... It will also be understood that the continued rotation of the water-wheel keeps the water in constantmotion, whereby to cause u the boats to travel around the course.

.l/Vhatis claimed is: l v

1. An amusement device comprising an endless watercourse having a constantly flowing stream of water therein, boats in the course ,propelled.by the motion of the water, and constantly moving means carried by a side of the watercourseltor contact by said boats wheretointermittently impart rotary motion to j said boa ts. i 2,;An amusement device comprising an endless watercourse having a constantly flowing stream of water therein, boats in the 

